Thunder fire coach Scott Brooks

The Oklahoma City Thunder fired head coach Scott Brooks on Wednesday.

The firing isn’t a result of the job that Brooks did as coach this season. Brooks has led the Thunder to the playoffs, but has never won a title. He has been criticized for not winning a title since he has Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook on his roster. Durant and Westbrook said that Brooks did a good job this season despite all the injuries the team had to deal with, according to the Associated Press.

"This is an extremely difficult decision on many levels," Thunder general manager Sam Presti said in a statement. "Scott helped establish the identity of the Thunder and has earned his rightful place in the history of our organization through his seven years as a valued leader and team member."

Presti also said that the firings wasn’t a reflection of this season but an assessment of what is best for the team going forward.

Brooks was the coach of the Thunder for seven seasons. He led the Thunder to a 45-37 record this season, but didn’t make the playoffs, according to USA Today. He led the Thunder to the Western Conference Finals three out of four years starting with the 2010-11 season. They did make it to the NBA Finals in 2012. Brooks was 338-207 as coach of the Thunder and was the 2009-10 NBA Coach of the Year.

Brooks is the top candidate for the head coaching job with the Orlando Magic and Denver Nuggets, Yahoo Sports reports. Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie could be a candidate to replace Brooks.